Welcome from our Chief Executive - Samantha Allen

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Samantha Allen

Chief Executive

Job overview

Exciting new Band 5, Band 6 and Band 7 SLT posts

Due to our commitment to growing our SLT workforce, and increased investment into Mental Health services, this is an exciting opportunity for enthusiastic and innovative SLTs to join a dynamic Speech Therapy Service. We provide Communication and Dysphagia support to Mental Health inpatient settings across Sussex.

The primary post is for a Band 7 SLT in E Sussex Adult Mental Health and Dementia inpatient settings, with additional part-time vacancies in Forensic services and MH rehab settings

As the service is expanding, we are also offering development posts for less experienced speech and language therapists who have an interest in working in these areas.

You will have experience or interest in Mental Health, Dementia or Forensics and will be supported to develop your skills in these areas. You may be required to work with dysphagia, communication or both and will be provided with the necessary training if required.

You will be supported to develop your research interests in line with the needs of the service .

This is an exciting time to be working as an SLT in MH services, and these posts offer the opportunity to shape the future for our patients, our services and ourselves.

Main duties of the job

B7 specialist SLT post for inpatient mental health services based in East Sussex (Band 6 would be considered with the right abilities). The post holder will need to demonstrate relevant post qualification experience, with skills or interest and knowledge of dementia/ mental health. The post holder will work with individuals referred for dysphagia and/or complex communication difficulties and they will also be expected to develop and provide a comprehensive learning and development programme for ward staff. This work will be multi-disciplinary in nature and the post holder would be part of the local adult mental health ward teams. The job description and person spec below relate to this post.

B6 & B7 posts (part time) in Forensic inpatient/community in E Sussex and W Sussex: The post holder will need to demonstrate post qualification experience and knowledge of SLT in a forensic setting; a special interest in forensics may be considered. The postholders will be supporting multidisciplinary team colleagues to assess and provide therapeutic intervention as part of the individuals' secure recovery.

B7 Post in Mental Health rehabilitation in E Sussex and W Sussex: Newly developed post working with multidisciplinary colleagues in Mental Health rehabilitation settings across Sussex. The post holder will have a broad range of experience working with clients with complex communication difficulties.

Working for our organisation

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was formed in April 2006 and provides mental health, learning disability and substance misuse services to the people of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex. Close links have been developed with Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

There are a variety of full-time and part-time options for these posts.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
People with Mental Health diagnoses have a range of communication difficulties. If you have experience of Dementia, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health, Dysphagia or Social Communication difficulties you could be the SLT for us - and we could have the post for you. The work is varied and interesting; you will be required to travel between wards; you will have a flexible approach, enjoy a challenge, and have support to learn new skills.

You will be a qualified Speech and Language Therapist with extensive experience.

You will be required to carry out Assessment and provide interventions to people with complex communication difficulties and/or dysphagia.

You will be required to develop and provide training programmes for patients, carers and ward staff

You will contribute to the development of the service; looking for innovative solutions, auditing, trialling new ways of working and above all responding to the growing body of evidence for models of working within Mental Health services with an open, responsive and flexible attitude

You will be required to work in inpatient settings and will be required to travel between wards.

You will work within Multi-disciplinary settings, providing support and consultation to your colleagues from other professions.

Above all, you will be expected to put your patient at the centre of all your interventions, working with them to ensure the best outcomes

Person specification

Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria

• Extensive experience as a qualified SLT
• Broad experience of working with clients with a range of disabilities Experience of working
• Experience of multidisciplinary working
• Experience of supervising staff and students

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.